Spool holder for cameras



Oct. 18,1927.

n J. CHRISTIE sPooL HOLDER FOR CAMERAS Filed Jan. 5, 1927 "1 l l L Patented Oct. 18, l1927.

-' UNITED. STATESv PATENT i OFFICE.

'JOHN CHRISTIE,v or ROCHESTERNEW YoRx, AssreNoR fro EAs'rMAN xoDAxfcoM- PANY, or ROCHESTER, NEW` YORK, A CORPORATION orVNEW YORK.

srooL HOLDER ron CAMERAS.

4Application led January 5,1927. Serial No. 159,185. f

This invention relates to photography and more particularly to a spool holdingl structure for use in photographic roll. holding lm cameras. Oneobject of my invention is to provide a simple and compact spool holding structure which can be easily assembled in a camera. Another 'object is toprovide a spool holding structure in which the spool supporting members at both ends-of the camera 'body may be easily and accurately aligned. Another object is to provide a film roller which is mounted upon the spool holding members and which has a slidable connection therewith, and other obj ects will appear from the following specification, the novel features being pointed out inthe claims at the end thereof.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters denote like parts throughout: f Fig. 1 isa top-planfview of a camera having roll holding mechanism constructed in accordancewi'th andembodying yone form of myinvention, the back of the camera being removed;

yFiggZ is a side-elevation ofthe camera shown in Fig. y1`withV the camera back removed; i*

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the spring supporting members; y y Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed side elevation of one -of thespool supporting members; Fig. `5 is an enlarged detailed section on line 5-5 of Fig.A 1. c

In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings the camera ma consist of the usual body portion 1, which isl preferably ofmetaland which may be covered by a leather or an imitation leatherv covering Q.l in thefcentral part of the camera body. There 'is a bellows frame 3 and bellows 4 which extends forwardly to a lensboard 5 which carries the usual objective. Spool chambers 7and 8 are provided at each end of the bellows frame 3k and a winding key 9 is aflixedto one end of one spool chamber hereshown as y8. This key is of the usual type which may be turned,y in one direc- 'tion Vonly and `which preferably consists of ya tubular portion 10 in which a web 11 is aixedto engage the usual slot 12 in a film spool. 'l Y 'l A The spool holding'structure comprisesa pair of'springplates`13 whichare attached at their central portion to the side walls 14 of the camera-body by means of rivets passing through apertures 16.` Eachend of the spring members 13 are offset at 17. and `then bent again at 18 so" as to terminate in ends 19 which are substantially parallel vto the'spring members 13. .All four of the spool holding members are alike. Asbest shown in Figs. 4 and 'each member 19 yconsists of a substantially circular plate having'an upperl edge 20v bent outwardly and having a central aperture 21 adapted to receive a spool trunnion 22,(f1' prefer to form a tubular extension 23 from the edge'of vaperture 21 since this 'forms .a better bearing for the spool ltrunnion and eliminates the possibility of a rough edge which might occur around aperture-21 from cutting into therelativelysoft metal (usually aluminum) of which the spool trunnions are made. f From the `bent over flange 20 I provide a spool guideway or channel 24 leadin kdirectly to the aperture 21. This greatly acilitates loading as it vdirects the yfilm .spool automaticallyin the apertures 21. 'c

On-the lower edge of disk 19 an arm 25 is extended and this arm is bentat 26 to form a foot 27 which is spaced from aperture 21 a distance approximately equal to that of the width of a spool flange, as indicated at fw, Fig. 5. This foot; 27 forms a stop which limits the downward movement `of the spool so that in case the spool trunnions should fail .to engage the guideways. 24 the spool cannot be thrust' toofar downinto the spool chamber. v It is important to have-the film `spool hold,- ers and the filmx guide: rollers properly aligned so `that the film 'may be readily wound across the bellows frame 3 and held with the film inthe proper focalplane.

F or Vthis reason the lm rollers 28 are preferably mounted uponbrackets 29 which are integral with the springV arms 13 and which are provided with apertures 30y into which the elongated trunnions of rollers 128 may extend, as shown in Fig. 1. These trunnions 'are preferably'deformed or slightly headed Aspool holding flanges V19 and the rollers28.

With *theV construction above described la ypair of spring members 1.3 may be attached lto eachside of the bellows frame3 bypmeans of a pair of rivets 15. These four rivets are the sole locating means for the four spool holding members 19 and the four guide roll holding brackets 29. `Thus the relative location of' these parts can be accurately obtained Without separate adjustments.

The operation of the abovedescribed spool holding mechanism is as follows:

A film spool S may bethrust into a spool chamber, the trunnions 22 being directed by guideways 24 Vinto the bearing 23. .As the spool trunnions pass down the guideWa-ys 24, parts 19 Will be thrust apart, as indlcated in brokenlines, Fig. 1. This movement 1s permitted because of the springy metal of which arms 13 are made, and the trunnions 31 of the guide rollers 28 vWil-l permit the brackets 29 to also spring outwardly with the spool bearings 23. W'hen the trunnions reach and snap into the bearings 23 the spool holders will spring back into the position shown in Fig. 1. n

In loading a film spool into the spool chamber 8 (Where the Winding key `is located) the procedure is similar to that above described exceptthat the slotted end of the film spool is first inserted into the tubular end 10 of the film Winding key 9, and the opposite end of the spool is snapped down into place.

Unloading is even'simpler than loading since it is only necessary to press one flange F of the film spool Stewards the end Wall of the camera, thus causing one spool support tosWing to its outermost-position, thus releasing the opposite spool trunnion from its `bearing 23. i

A Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent is,--

1. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body including side and end Walls. spool chambers being located adjacentV the end Walls of a film` Winding mechanism including film guiding rollers andfilm spool supports, the Vsupports comprising a pair of spring arms attached to the camera body near the middle portion thereof, film spool engaging members on the ends of the spring arms, and a slidable connection between the spring arms and guide rollers whereby the latter may be supported by the former throughout the range of movement of'` the spring arms.

. Y 2. In a photographic camera, the combination With a camera body including side and end Walls, spool chambers being located adjacent the end Walls, of a film Winding mechanism including film guiding rollers and film spool supports, the supports comprising av pair of perforated spring arms, relatively long trunnions on the guide rollers passing through vthe perforated spring arms, film spool engaging members on the spring arms, the guide rollerrtrunnions perfilm spool engaging members on the ends'of v the springarms, a slidable connection between the springarms and the guide rollers, and means forlimiting the extent of the sliding movement. l Y

4. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera body including side and end walls, spool chambers being located ad]acent the en'd Walls, of a film winding mechanism including. film guiding `rollersA and film spool supports, the supports comprising a 1pair ofA perforated spring arms, relatively ong trunnions on the guiderol-l.- ers passing through the perforated spring arms, lm spool engaging members on the spring arms, heads on the guiderollerV trunnions for limiting the relative movement between aspring` arm and a guide roller trunnion. f 5, In a. photographic camera, the combination with a camera bod including side and end Walls with spool c ambers included 1n the end Walls, spool supports including spring arms carried by the camera body being attached thereto near the center thereof, and guideways formed in thespool supports adapted to direct a spool being loaded into the camerajinto the spool holders.

6. In a photographic camera, the combination with a camera bod including sideand end Walls with spool cliambers included in the. end walls, spool supports including .spring arms carried by the camera body being attached thereto near the center thereof, spool'bearings carried by the-ends ofthe spring arms, guideways leading to the spool bearings for directing spool trunnions into the bearings. i Y

7 In a photographic camera, the combina.- tion with a camera body having sides and spool chambers at the endsthereof, of spool holders comprising spacedspring Varms attached to the sides of the camera bod spool supports carried by said arms inclu ing tubularbearings adapted to receive the spool trunnions, said spring arms being movabbJ to engage and release spool trunnions in the tubular bearings. y y 8, In a photographic camera, the combination with acameraj bodyhavingsides and spool chambersatthe ends thereof, of spool holders comprising spaced spring arms at.- tached to the sides of the camera body, spool supports carried by said arms including tubularbearings'adapted to receive the spool trunnions, and guideways leading to the spool bearings whereby a. spool having trunnions may be moved 'down the guideways and snapped into the spool bearings.

9. In a photographic camera, the Vcombination with a camera body having sides and spool chambers at the ends thereof, of spool holders comprising spaced spring arms attached to the sides of the cameral body, s ool 10 supports carried by said arms inclu ing plates having tubular bearings therein, outy Wardly 'larin parts on the plates, and guideways lea ing from the outwardly flaring portions of the plates to the tubular bearings whereby spool trunnions may be directed to the bearings;

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 30th' 'day of December, 1926.

JOHN CHRISTIE. 

